


Retrocasuality

by Odessa94



Category: The Flash (Comics), The Flash (TV 2014), The Flash - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, I Don't Even Know, Kinda, M/M, Reincarnated Barry Allen, Reincarnated Leonard Snart, Soulmates, character deaths mentioned, it's complicated - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-01-16
Packaged: 2018-09-12 08:05:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9063484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Odessa94/pseuds/Odessa94
Summary: Barry and Len are soulmates... almost... but they both have looped timelines that seem to link with each other. Len was never sure why it happens and why he only remembers this particular one because he's sure its happened more then once. Yet, he does know this for certain, when one or both of them dies, they awake in a past part of their timeline, or at least a part of the timeline that is a fixed point.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Retrocausality is any of several hypothetical phenomena or processes that reverse causality, allowing an effect to occur before its cause. (Wikipedia.com). Used in several forms of science such as Modern Particle Physics, Quantum Physics, Tachyons, etc.  
> **A causal loop, in the context of time travel or retrocausality, is a sequence of events (actions, information, objects, people.**

Len waited, leaned against a brick wall, looking at the night sky. He checked his watch again, ten till eleven o’clock. Almost time. He felt nervous almost but he had to let it happen since it was a fixed point no matter what he does. Then again, it might distort the timeline again like the last time he tried to bind his timeline. Funny thing about time travel, manipulate time enough, and it will turn and bite you in the ass. Here he was in 2014 when he was supposed to be freakin’ dead in 2073. He has been in his past for more than a decade and he had discovered over time that he was stuck in a looped timeline. He didn’t consider it the same as Kendra and Carter’s reincarnation but he knew it was close to it. Len remembered going to sleep on March 23, 2064 and when he woke up, he was in 2005.

Gideon, who was programmed into the watch that Barry Allen gave to him back before he died in 2024. She had also confirmed what his theory of a looped timeline, but she phrased it as a timeline that corresponded to fixed points, his old timeline fixed. Yet, no matter what Len did, there was no consequences to any timeline.

So a fixed point had been in 2005 and Len remembered branching away from Lewis’s business to start his own gig when Lewis was sentenced to life in prison for murder. Len, knowing he shouldn’t do anything other then what he did the first time around, but he did other things as well. No matter what he did, Gideon said no changes rippled through the timeline. Len eventually concluded that since his timeline was fixed he was just a phantom in his own timeline; made untouched from time by his death in 2064. 

Afterwards, he made his decision of what to do, Len moved to settle a few scores, which went unnoticed by the timeline. It had remained the same no matter what he altered. He could have killed the president and the timeline wouldn’t have changed. Impossible right? Len was use to the impossible from all the crap he has experienced over the years, or at least before he was snatched back to 2005.

For now, he knew he was suppose to be at a warehouse right now beating the shit out of Sam Scudder but no, he was going to wait for that bright light as the Particle Accelerator explodes. He actually saw the plane the Mardons' were on get hit with the shock wave and crash somewhere far off on the outskirts of Central City. He let the blast wash over him, pain coursing through him as his DNA was activated by the outburst and he heard the lightening over head. Len rushed into the precinct, dressed as a police officer of course, and was there at Barry's side within minutes. He ordered a janitor to call the ambulance and he turned back to the twenty-five year old. He caught a glimpse of the lightening course through Barry's nervous system and vanish. The chemicals and broken glass surrounded around Barry as Len tried to be careful getting any of it on him or cut by the glass. Soon people rushed in to get to Barry, even Joe was among them, but no one took a notice to Leonard as if he wasn't even there. Joe glanced at him, and he made a face as if he recognized him but couldn't remember where he seen him. That was a first Len thought to himself as the detective looked back at his foster son in fear of losing him. He got it sometimes when he was in a place he wasn't originally, but not a full on look like there was some sort of recognition in their eyes but their mind couldn't place him. It was as if time was trying to do something but was unable to. The paramedics' stole Barry from the ruined lab and Len let them take him, telling Joe what had happened. Len was surprised that the detective could still notice him while the rest were completely unaware of him. Len figured it was because of the history the two of them had back when he was alive originally. The detective nodded then rushed after his son. Leonard looked at the ceiling that had a gaping hole in it before he finally left the room. Now the wait was on.

-x-

"I still remember it clearly. I was closing the sky light because well, it leaked back before I got struck, and it was raining that night. That's how the lightening strike me due to the metal chains and the rain pouring down on the window." Barry had told him once before glancing out the window of Hall of Justice. Leonard glanced out the window as well, thinking of where he was that night. He could have gotten hit too if he had been slower or closer to the labs. Too bad a car was faster then the blast Len thought. Then he looked down at his hand, thinking of how he gotten the ability to create ice and use that ice as a weapon. "I didn't think it'd bring me here." Barry said and Len laughed. "Me either." The speedster glanced at the former villain and smiled brightly.

Len sighed at the memory, staring down at the comatose young man. It had been four months already and he could tell that the speed force was already starting to effect Barry even though Caitlin, Cisco, and Harrison didn't notice very much. Len frowned, he wished he could do something to change something but he was pretty much locked in time itself. He couldnt really change anything. The past was in the past, unchangeable. Len reached out and grabbed Barry's hand, still able to remember the last time he did that. It was before the kid vanished in 2024. No one knew what happened to him in that flash of light, but Len could remember every moment clear as day. Len felt a spark of electricity, making him snatch his hand back. Barry's eyes moved under his eyelids and Len froze. A finger on the hand that Len touched twitched ever so slightly but Len knew he had five more months to go before Barry would even awaken.

-x-

Len was sitting at the back table in Jitters when Barry walked in, hugging his foster sister tightly. They talked to each other, Barry smiled brightly before he rushed out the door again. Len narrowed his eyes slightly, he noticed something that Iris didn't notice. Barry had a confused face just as he was turning away from Iris but it was quickly gone so Len wasn't for certain. He got up and walked out the door.

Len kept his distance from the speedster as much as possible until Barry made his way into CCPD. Len knew Barry was okay, but that look shouldn't have been there. Len went into the motorcar cafe, having disposed off his coffee back at Jitters, and sat down. He didn't listen to the police scanner, nor did he keep his eye on the police department. He was lost in his thoughts and memories of what had been before. He wasn't sentimental about them, but forty years without that bright smile and the sometimes annoying "there is good in you" and everything Barry Allen said or did was coming back to him.

Len glanced up again, sensing something off about his timeline. Images started to change in his head and Len pressed his forehead into his hand, to try and rid himself of the pulsing headache. Images of his past changes were being to slip into place, replacing everything. What was happening? Len stealing the cold gun from STAR Labs formed in his head and other things started forming in his head.

Oh shit, the timeline shouldn't have been conforming to what he had done in his timeline! But if he learned anything from Rip Hunter, you don't fuck with time or it will fuck with you. Len jumped out of his seat, making his way down the street, and down an alley. He didn't notice that someone was following him but when he did, he didn't let the person know that. Why would someone be following him? Maybe it was his timeline doing it Len thought. He winced from the still throbbing headache as he turned a corner. He slipped into another alley, far away from CCPD and apparently he lost the person following him. Len frowned by that.

Until...

"Never would have thought I would find you like this." A voice said from his left from deeper in the alley. Len's heart stopped beating for a split second and Len's head snapped up. There, standing there, was Barry Allen himself, but he wasn't the 2016 Barry Len watched. Then Len saw the ring on Barry's right hand and his heart sank. All this time? Barry gave a sad smile when he saw Len's face. "I have to say, stalking my younger self is a bit odd don't you think?" He said and Len smirked.

"If I had known you were speeding about, I would have stalked you instead." Len commented and Barry rolled his eyes. Len pushed off the wall and walked over to Barry. Barry's eyes followed him, emotions hiding behind them. Len could tell this wasn't a Barry from the future that time traveled to the past. This Barry was different. He seemed like he had seen too many things and Len had realized that this was the Barry he lost all those years ago.

Barry must have been the change on his face when something warm touched his cheek and Len felt Barry's thumb gently brush over his cheekbone, eyes going lost. "I thought I would never seen you again." Barry said softly, sadness and depression creeping into his voice. Len reached out and pulled Barry into a tight hug and Barry latched on just as tight. "I shouldn't have left you that day. I'm so sorry Len, I'm sorry." Barry apologized in the nook of Len's shoulder and neck. Len didn't say anything, only let Barry cry on his shoulder. Barry didn't just vanish, he was killed that day, probably by Eobard while they were fighting. It had made sense since he was here. Still the flash, but locked in his own timeline, unable to do much of anything. Len held Barry as the younger man clung to him, probably having been alone for a long time. That had been a fear of Barry's; being alone while there was millions of people around you. "It's okay Barry. It's okay now." Len whispered.


End file.
